To steal a boxing term, the UNMC College of Pharmacy is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the nation.UNMC ranks No. 19, up from No. 25 a year ago, in the latest American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Faculty Research Grant Institutional Rankings for the fiscal year 2013. The College of Pharmacy brought in $5.5 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants.But, when adjusted for the number of full-time equivalency (FTE) faculty, UNMC's ranking surges to No. 8 in the country, its sixth year in a row in the total-dollars-per-faculty top 10...read more

Dr. Shaffer assumes new role

Dr. Christopher Shaffer has assumed the role of Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Dr. Shaffer has been with the College of Pharmacy for the past four years. Prior to the College of Pharmacy, Dr. Shaffer served as the Pharmacy Director at The Nebraska Medical Center and Children's Hospital and Medical Center for approximately ten years. He is currently finishing his PhD in Clinical and Translational Research, with a focus in pediatrics. He also serves as the Director of the Pediatric and Adolescent Pharmacology Research Unit.

"I am very excited to start my new role within the College of Pharmacy. The pharmacy profession is changing rapidly and there are tremendous opportunities for pharmacy students to be engaged in premier educational programs that will provide the highest quality care. As we build the new College of Pharmacy, we will be able to couple an outstanding educational experience with innovative research. I am particularly excited to help pharmacy students find their voice within the changing pharmacy profession."

Drs. Roche, Krobot step down, stay busy

Drs. Roche (left) and Krobot

The College of Pharmacy said goodbye June 30 to two longtime faculty members -- but they aren't going anywhere.

Ted Roche, Ph.D., retired after a 48-year career during which he earned numerous accolades, including pharmacy's Distinguished Teaching Award and UNMC's Outstanding Teacher Award. He was held in such esteem he was named an honorary alumnus by the UNMC Alumni Association in 2010.

Dr. Roche is expected to revel in his emeritus status and remain a familiar face on campus, including serving as a member of the college's curriculum committee. "We'll still see him around," said Michelle Parks of the College of Pharmacy dean's office.

Charles Krobot, Pharm.D., a College of Pharmacy distinguished teacher and distinguished alum, worked for decades at Clarkson and University hospitals before joining the UNMC faculty 13 years ago. He stepped down June 30 as pharmacy's associate dean for student affairs.

But he, too, will stick around. Dr. Krobot continues to work part-time, coordinating courses on aseptic technique and legal and ethical principles and assisting with other courses as needed.

Committee will foster emphasis on mentoring

The creation of an eight-member mentoring committee is the latest step in UNMC's continued effort to enhance and sustain the career success of faculty through a renewed emphasis on faculty mentoring.

It will work toward creating a campus atmosphere in which junior faculty are assisted with the facilitation and attainment of individual career goals, professional development, increased job satisfaction, long-term faculty retention, improved work-life balance and prevention of faculty burnout. Click here for the full article.

Preceptor Retreat

Dr. Alex Adams

The annual Preceptor Development retreat "World Class Preceptors, World Class Educators" was hosted by UNMC College of Pharmacy Office of Experiential Programs (OEP) August 8, 2014 at Mahoney State Park. This year's retreat was a great success with an overwhelming response of 63 participants.

Keynote speaker, Alex Adams, Pharm.D., IOM, Vice President of Pharmacy Programs at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and Vice President of Research Programs for the NACDS Foundation, focused his presentation on "The Future of Pharmacy Practice: Headwinds, Tailwinds, and the Long-Term Outlook", where he described the national trends regarding the practice of pharmacy, discussed the Affordable Care Act and other reforms and recognized innovative models that pharmacies have adopted to provide advance patient care.

"Preceptors contribute immensely to the development of our future pharmacists. The retreat is an event held in appreciation of their dedicated efforts and support. The retreat is an opportunity to provide professional development, network, collaborate and exchange ideas," said Kimberly Norman, MA, OEP Coordinator. "We are dedicated to our preceptors; we welcome their feedback and recommendations as well as the opportunity to meet with them face to face to extend our gratitude."

Thank you to all the speakers and participants who made this year's retreat a success!

Student News

The University of Nebraska Medical Center has announced its spring 2014 dean's list for students enrolled in nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, radiation science technology and clinical laboratory science programs.

To qualify for the pharmacy dean's list, students must place in the top 20 percent of their class and maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or above.